Element 6: Evergreen term

What/how

Several matters within this AMA Agreement survive the initial financial term (April 1, 2011-March 31, 2018). These include:

  • AMA recognition.
  • The agreement governance structure (see Element 7: Governance).
  • Dispute resolution processes (see Element 10: Dispute resolution).
  • Rates and prices for the SOMB, ARPs and programs (identified in the agreement as Physician Support Programs):
    • Continuing Medical Education.
    • Medical Liability Reimbursement.
    • Parental Leave.
    • Physician and Family Support.
    • Compassionate Expense.
    • Physician Locums (Regular and Specialist).
    • Practice Management.

Not only are the above programs guaranteed to exist past March 31, 2018, a process is established to renegotiate the rates and prices for these programs at the end of the initial financial term, with a binding arbitration process for resolution in the event that the parties cannot reach agreement.

Programs that are not subject to the Evergreen Term (identified in the AMA Agreement as Physician Assistance Programs) are guaranteed to exist until at least March 31, 2018. Processes have been established to negotiate their future after March 2018, including a non-binding dispute resolution process. These are:

  • Physician On-Call.
  • Physician Learning.
  • Program Management Offices.
  • Toward Optimized Practice.
  • Business Cost.
  • Retention Benefit.
  • Rural Remote Northern.

Where program future is in question at the end of term, the processes are designed to resolve issues before the end of term.

You might ask

Q6.1 Will this evergreen provision put an end to long periods of time without a negotiated agreement?

  • It is expected that this AMA Agreement will allow for a smooth transition period between one agreement term and the next. Evergreen elements of the AMA Agreement continue, i.e., will always be in place.

Q6.2 Can government end these evergreen provisions unilaterally?

  • Notwithstanding that government always retains certain legislative powers, these evergreen matters are to remain in place until ended by mutual written agreement of the parties.

AMA Agreement document references

  • Document reference 1: Page 6, Section 6.
  • Document reference 2: Page 11, Schedule 1.
  • Document reference 3: Page 12, Schedule 2.
  • Document reference 4: Page 18, Schedule 5.

Download the PDF of Element 6: Evergreen term

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